


Queen of Vampires Must Die

by Tykki



Series: Законы мира || Laws of the World [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: (but not explicit or sexual), Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Magic, Queer Friendly, Vampires, mentions of torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:21:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21748897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tykki/pseuds/Tykki
Summary: In a world where Remus founded the great empire, not Romulus, there's only one British Isle and Mary Magdalene is the fifth Evangelist, there's also magic with various magic creatures  and, most important, there are the laws of the world - no one truly knows them but to live according to them means to learn to cohabitate with each other. Vampires never understood why they should do it therefore their country is a constant source of misfortune for humans, especially their neighbours.But a new queen claimed the throne fifty years ago and she did try to cohabitate with everyone else.But now she's dead and her kingdom might die with her.This is a translation of my own novel, written in Russian. No beta so all the mistakes are my own.(there's some m/m and f/m romance here, it's important but not that central to the plot. f/f is mentioned in the passing. if I ever finish and translate the sequel, there'll be f/f romance there)
Series: Законы мира || Laws of the World [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1594282
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Королева вампиров должна умереть](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20299555) by [fandom Women 2019 (WTF_Women_2018)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WTF_Women_2018/pseuds/fandom%20Women%202019), [Tykki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tykki/pseuds/Tykki). 

> The idea of Walkers and magic paths is loosely based on Neil Gaiman's "Books of Magick" comic books.  
The novel is obviously influenced by Arthurian and Judeo-Christian lore.  
The name 'Logrus' comes from Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny but was used just to match the name "Loegria".

“Since when do the fairy have human names?” the vampire sounded more tired than angry, and Mary looked closer at her face not hidden under the usual glamour and therefore quite common. Most of Logrus’ Royal Court had forgotten about glamour which showed how shocked they were. Everybody knew – vampires couldn’t stand to be seen without a heavy cloud of charms of attractiveness.

“Since never,” she said though the woman didn’t seemed interested in her answer at all. She closed off completely the moment she and Mary walked into the abandoned royal apartments. “But do you really expect me to say my true name to you?”

The vampire waved her hand looking at the wide balcony by which they stood.

“You could at least choose something else…” she murmured. And looked at the balcony again.

Mary did the same. The day was just dawning and the dew looked silver on plain grey undecorated stones. Actually the balcony was bare except for the bronze railing. It didn’t have any refuge too so these first rays of morning sun meant pain for those vampires who’d step outside and death to the ones who wouldn’t rush inside immediately.

“Tell me what happened,” Mary insisted. “I came here to investigate, after all”.

The vampire nodded but kept her silence still staring at the balcony.

“Lily”, Mary called out trying not to add that vampire names weren’t all that different from the human ones and she’d met humans with that very same name too.

“She was standing right there”, the vampire said hollowly, pointing right at the balcony’s centre. “Three nights ago I came to my Queen’s chamber to wait on her while she was preparing to sleep. And she was standing there and morning was dawning like now but it was cloudy. Her Majesty is stronger than all of us so I wasn’t worried originally though I saw wisps of smoke coming from her. Still I thought it might be some kind of experiment of hers… And then she looked at me and smiled… and at that moment the clouds cleared and the sun was upon her and she… she was…

The vampire’s dark face clenched up. She could stop talking – soot marks on the balcony were quite visible from where they stood.

But Mary who’d arrived at the court the evening before had already promised those who had welcomed her that she’d get all the details. So she said “And you saw Queen Ragneilt dying. And since there was no one else around you decided she’d killed herself.”

For the first time Lily tore her yes from the balcony and looked at her.

“Saw – yes, I saw that, you’re right,” she nodded. “But I decided nothing of a kind. I knew my Queen for more than two centuries. She’d never kill herself, not for anything or anybody. And why would she? She came to the throne only fifty years ago and her glorious reign was only just beginning. It doesn’t matter if no one else was around – if Her Majesty Queen Ragneilt died there can be only one answer. She was certainly murdered. And it’s your job to find out who committed this atrocity.

Mary sighed locking her fingers behind her back. Her investigation promised to be long and hard.

But she had known all along what she’d been getting into.

***

Next evening, looking at those who gathered at the court, Mary tried to keep an open mind. There was no other kingdom like Logrus: only there the population consisted mostly of vampires; obviously the kingdom was closed off to outsiders. The opposite was also true: vampires never left Logrus for long even with hunting for humans at the Border being a favourite sport here.

But before Queen Ragneilt’s peace with her neighbours Logrus had known very little about even nearest countries’ culture.

In a way they knew very little about different cultures even now. Sure, there were new clothes and hair styles but every guest from the other side of the Border could see it was more of playing dress-up than consistent fashion. Bliauts and surcoats could still be spotted beside jerkins and contemporary dresses with low necklines and full skirts and of all the things in fabric vampires bright colours the most. At the moment glamour was rarely in use so it was easy to see few had taken good care of their clothes and it was strangely in tune with the castle’s state of disrepair – even with all the beautiful colourful tapestries on the walls any human would find it hard to live here because of constant dampness and draughts. Vampires never notices such things like they never noticed the throne’s red carpet had began unraveling some decades ago. Instead they decorated the walls with tapestries and pictures, self-portraits mostly, because vampires had long become extremely fond of portraying themselves. Also the filigree bronxe throne was shining even without any magic because royalty deserved everything best.

Mary made it across the room calmly looking into various curious eyes. She was most interested in golden-coloured ones: those and a deep-dark skin were distinguished marks of Logrus’ Royal Family. And it seemed impossible that none of them wasn’t thinking of the throne made empty and somebody having to claim it. Mary was quite eager to see this drama playing out.

Lily was waiting for her not too far from the throne herself. Tonight she was calmer and less distracted – of course, they were no longer standing beside the balcony where Ragneilt had met her death. Lily was dark-skinned and golden-eyed too but she didn’t seem to possess burning ambition and desire to seize power yet. Though one could never know and she was one of the late Queen’s confidants, after all…

“News came from Loegria,” Lily said softly when Mary approached. “Arthur’s Family knows. They’re expressing their condolences,” she made a face, “and sending their envoy here. Isn’t it interesting how fairy and humans seem to remember us all of a sudden?”

“Not that sudden,” Mary pointed out. “Queen Ragneilt was first in Logrus to extend hand of… friendship to others,” Lily heard that hitch and Mary herself heard it too but even sophisticated diplomats usually found it difficult to call vampires friendly. “It doesn’t surprise me everyone is concerned about her death. Not to mention what magic volatility it can cause. I started my measurements yesterday and hope to finish them before this human envoy’s arrival. I’m looking forward to their assessment of the situation. Fluctuations might be felt already in their land too: I fear borders could be broken because of what happened. And I’m not talking merely about the Border between Logrus and Loegria.”

Lily shook her head. She again seemed too tired for a nearly immortal creature who was supposed to live her life nearly without any concerns.

“Hurry up with these measurements of yours,” she said. “You don’t have as much time as you think you have.”

“Why is that?” Mary asked in surprise. “Humans need a few days to reach this castle…”

“I believe I know who Loegria’s sent,” Lily sighed. “And he isn’t human. In fact I believe he’ll arrive shortly after the letter…”

As if to answer her words the room’s doors swung open with a creak – Mary’s brows rose as she knew already how hard was to open those doors. Vampires around her turned towards the sound but many of them seem to know who to expect like Lily did. Or apathy had already seized them too tightly. For two days already Mary felt as if she was in a dreamland.

But the newcomer came with a storm of emotions almost visible around him. He was a short young-looking Loegrian whose hair was obviously prematurely gray and whose dagger and traveling suit were quite rich and well-decorated. After him came another man of dark skin and golden eyes but it was the pale and gray one who emanated the feeling of power.

“Is it true?” the quest who didn’t look like a vampire but wasn’t afraid of them demanded immediately. “Is Ragneilt dead?”

If Lily were able to get a toothache she’d look just like that. Nevertheless she slid towards the guest using shadow magic before Mary for the first time in two days.

“It is true, Lord Joshua,” she told him opening her arms and bowing down. “Your sister is dead. Have you come to claim the throne? Because we’ve expected you to.”

The guest recoiled as if stricken and almost collided with his companion who bared his teeth in a smile of a kind and took him by the elbow.

And Logrus’ Court came alive glancing at this Joshua and Mary saw occasional glimmers of glamour flickering here and there. She narrowed her eyes waiting for the guest to answer Lily but he was silent and looking at her in shock.

And then he shook his head furiously gasping as if emerging from under the water.

“What in the actual Hell?” he said in amazement. “Let’s talk about this later. Right now I want to know just one thing – who did it?”

“Wasn’t it you, though?” Lily asked, too calm for a vampire, and all Mary could do was to clench her teeth and try not to curse.

Vampires were notorious for their impulsivity. Not only for it of course but for it too: no other humanfolk or magicfolk were such a slave to the heat of the moment. That trait of theirs hampered the effective communication with them even for eastern celestials with their lenient attitude towards everything happening in the world. That’s why Mary wasn’t surprised by Lily’s accusations. The Loegrian, however, was and his face was agitated; but having taken a sharp breath to answer he exhaled immediately. It seemed one could get used even to vampires.

“I didn’t kill my sister and I came only to find out who had, nothing more,” he said struggling to keep his voice flat. “You received a message of me coming, surely. I have credentials with Loegria’s Royal Seal on them confirming my rank. Which I’m not going to change.”

He seemed sincere but still there was a suspicion on Lily’s face. But she straightened and nodded giving the way and he walked to the center of the room not lowering his eyes when somebody tried to make an eye contact. The empty throne and Mary beside it became the focus of his scrutiny but still he asked Lily first: “So who should I address? Who speaks for Logrus?”

“No one does,” she said grimly. “But you can give me your credentials, Lord Joshua. Her Majesty didn’t want a quarrel with your land so I’m not going to quarrel with it either.”

Joshua’s companion took a step towards Lily and whispered in her ear. Mary didn’t heard what he was saying but judging by his smirk he was telling her basically the same thing she was thinking: a lot of quarrels had started exactly the same way Lily had started. Still she shook her hair impatiently keeping her silence and staring at Joshua. He was silent too when taking the papers from his backpack and extending his arm with them without coming closer to Lily. After a short pause she slid towards him and took the papers without opening them.

That was quite a decent receiving of an envoy for the vampire Royal Court. There’d been no attacks from the crowd even when they’d whispered or gestured impatiently.

“Can I ask what’s a fairy doing here?” Joshua’s voice was steady and he wasn’t looking at Mary but he definitely noticed her.

“The same reason you are,” Lily said coldly. “Additionally, our Queen died without heirs and this seems to cause too much disturbance in the fabric of magic. The Fairy’s Supreme Court wants to study it and decide what to do next.”

“Perfect,” Joshua nodded now turning and stepping towards Mary. “The first rational course of action. May I know who you are?”

“Call me Mary,” she smiled at him.

Now he wasn’t only amazed, like when Lily had talked to him about the throne, but confused too.

“It’s strange to hear a Biblical name from one of the magicfolk,” he said blinking. His eyelashes were long and beautiful.

Mary shrugged, unfazed.

“I simply took one of your popular names.”

“My mother had it.”

“Like I said – the name’s popular,” she bowed her head. “You’re are a dhampir, aren’t you, Lord Joshua? Or should I call you Prince?”

“I am, obviously,” he agreed. “Ragneilt and I share a father but my mother was a human. And that doesn’t make me a Prince of Logrus, thank you. Loegria is my home.”

“Logrus’ Royal Family accepted him, however,” a voice from his shadow said and then there was his companion rising from it though he’d been on the other side of the room a moment before. “So Lily’s question about throne was actually legitimate.”

Looking at Mary only Joshua said again: “I’m not going to claim Logrus’ throne. But I’m helping to solve Ragneilt’s murder in any way I can. Can we focus on that?”

His companion smirked again and didn’t say a word.

“Of course we can,” Mary agreed. “We can focus on that and on the aftermath for our whole world.”

“Fine,” Joshua glanced at her one last time and turned to the crowd. And for all his claims he doesn’t want a throne he commanded king-like: “Can anybody finally tell me what happened? From the start.”

***

_Nobody knew for certain when Logrus had been founded on Albion. Vampires hadn’t written any chronicles and for a long time humans who shared the island with them were rather concerned with their own survival not with writing down exact dates. Most likely Gallia, separated from Albion by just a channel, was right setting the unification of vampires as of eleven hundreds of years ago. Loegria who ambitiously named itself a successor to Arthur’s destroyed Loegria of old was established seven hundreds years ago. There had been other human kingdoms on Albion before it – but Logrus had long consumed them since, most of them literally. Logrus’ had king hated humanfolk passionately and would kill them all if there was any other food for his people._

_Still, vampires were never all-powerful. Still, humans had magic too and some of their beliefs must have resonated with the laws of the world since holy water and blessed silver helped them. Having used all that and running water too Loegria’s founder had established the Border – not just a line in the sand or a pattern on a map but a real barrier for vampires stopping them from crossing over from their land to Loegria. It hadn’t been an absolute barrier even then – it could’ve been broken with enough force but with guards and patrols first peaceful nights had begun._

_The founder had claimed she’d descended from Arthur’s and Guinevere’s line to bring back peace and order to Albion’s humanfolk. There’d been no legends telling about Arthur’s and Guinevere’s children but there’d been legends telling they’d had none – still, no one had wanted to question the woman with the first real solution. So the kingdom had been established._

_For seven centuries Loegria persevered – that time was nothing for magicfolk but for human neighbours of vampires it was eternity. Nobody ever forgot the threat and every Loegrian wore a weapon and was ready to protect their life. Most skilled warriors had founded Order of the Knights of Christ dedicated to war on vampires and any other foul creature threatening the young kingdom. That goal had looked noble not only for those living in Loegria with no means or no desire to escape: one day a soldier had come from across the sea, he’d called himself Abraham Van Helsing and pledged his loyalty to the Crown and the Knights. They hadn’t known their own luck then but later they’d come to know Abraham as a brilliant strategist and a relentless vampire hunter and with the Order’s membership he’d gained nobility and a right to speak as an equal with Loegria’s rulers._

_At the end of his life Abraham had been The Magister of the Knights of Christ and his family had become the second most important in Loegria, surpassed only by the Royal Family. His descendents stood at the right hand of Loegria’s rulers, ever supporting but never usurping their rights. And many of those descendents had consistently become the Magisters of the Knights of Christ too affirming time and again Van Helsing’s unique ability to thwart any foul creature._

_ Joshua Van Helsing was the first foul creature among them._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The quotes from the Gospel according to Mary Magdalene are taken from [here](http://gnosis.org/library/marygosp.htm).  
"Yellow Empire" is the Western term for China in this world which is considered barbaric by this "China" (its people call their land Tianxia or "Celestial Empire").

When Mary had stepped into the castle of Logrus’ Queen, Caer Lyvelid, two nights ago, everything had already happened but few had already known. But news had begun spreading like ripples on a pond, as had fear. There’d already been a death of a sovereign quite recently by vampires’ standards… but then Ragneilt had caught the crown before everyone had understood the true horror of such a death.

Now they knew it.

“Her Majesty never left her castle or even her chamber lately,” after telling about Ragneilt’s death yet again Lily was staring into space. “When I asked she said she was solving an ancient and complex puzzle, determined to figure it out no matter what. Everything might have happened because of it. But I believe somebody put her in their thrall and murdered her. No puzzle of old could affected Queen of Logrus so.”

They were still standing beside the throne other courtiers were listening with bated breath. It seemed strange: no one was shouting or commenting, thus interrupting Lily; precisely because of that Mary thought them living in the state true horror now, forgetting all their habits.

“An ancient puzzle…” Joshua’s companion almost whispered and Mary looked at him sharply.

“Does it mean anything to you?”

“It may,” he shuddered uncomfortably. “But it is what I think it is then Lily is right: it couldn’t affected Ragneilt so. It's something else.”

He definitely surprised Lily by agreeing with her.

“And here I thought you’d take a chance to accuse some unknown ancient magic. Anything to shield your dhampir from any suspicion.”

“I have a name,” Joshua said drily. “You can use it seeing that I’m not concealing it.”

Mary hid a smile: Joshua was reminding of his family’s boldness quite elegantly. In a world full of magic names had power and true ones were used publicly only by dauntless, fools… or vampires, of course. The vampires thought themselves too mighty to be controlled with their true names, though, and with good reason. But mostly people lived their lives false names or made significant efforts to protect their true ones from any influence. Mary knew the Van Helsings had chosen the latter. To show themselves as mighty as their foes.

They must have regretted that decision without doubt sometimes.

“So what is this puzzle?” she asked Joshua’s companion resisting the urge to test Joshua’s protection against her spells. “Are you familiar with it –“

“Theo,” he supplied. “I too have a name to call.”

Saying it he was pointedly not looking at Joshua, and Joshua at him. They actually seemed to barely stand each other. Mary raised a brow seeing that but other things interested her more.

“So what is this puzzle, Theo?”

He glanced at the room with plenty stares trained on him and shrugged.

“I’d rather talk about it without this crowd witnessing my every word. And by the way – after you prove the Fairy’s Supreme Court did send you, Mary,” he smirked in her face. “Lily isn’t alone in her suspicions that somebody could murder Ragneilt and then arrive to Caer Lyvelid pretending to investigate her death.”

Joshua clutched his head hissing something unpleasant under his breath but Mary laughed.

“You think I murdered the Queen of Logrus? I’m flattered. Lily has my credentials too – you can decide if the seals on them are real. As for your accusation… I could give swear to you my innocence but that wouldn’t help, would it? Still I swear: there’s no motivation for me to kill Queen Ragneilt and I didn’t do it.”

His golden eyes stared into hers intensely but Theo seemed satisfied with her answer since he shrugged and said “It’ll do, I suppose. Until we know anything new. But I suggest we go somewhere to continue this conversation. And look at your credentials too, of course.”

“If Lily agrees with you,” Mary pointed out gently reminding who was at least trying to make any decisions for Logrus right now.

“Yes, I’m interested in what an exile can tell me,” Lily said gruffly turning towards the doors.

“I’m not an exile,” Theo told her though she turned her back to him. “Well, at least since Ragneilt has abolished my sentence. Stop being petty, Lily. We’re on the same side.”

But she was shadows already and if there was any answering rustle nobody understood it.

***

“The fairy” was what they called them at the island Logrus and Loegria shared. Other countries called them different names but meant the same: magicfolk detached from the ordinary life of the world. That trait was essential since they could diverge in looks and features more so than humans born on opposite ends of the earth. Yamato and the Yellow Empire thought them enlightened celestial beings but here in these parts people believed they were just born not entirely connected to the world and that freed them from some of its laws making them perfect monitors or judges if needed.

Even vampires or werewolves rather not quarreled with the fairy unless they absolutely had to and were known to occasionally accept their judgement. And their sentence.

Right now Mary was sensing efforts to figure out what she was exactly. She looked human-like – more than any vampire or even Joshua Van Helsing. Her features spoke of an eastern descent but her dark-red, almost brown hair were dressed too simply for the Yellow Empire and such. Her clothes were of a Loegrian noble prepared for a long trip.

Even after most careful inspection the seals of her credentials came as genuine. Most of the magicfolk had quite liberal attitude toward human cultures but they had adopted the respect for written identity and status verification. Even Hell’s demons complied with agreements properly signed.

“Still, I wonder why?” Joshua said when Lily’s chamber fell under protective spells stopping any eavesdropping or breaking into. “There are enough heirless sovereigns killed everywhere. It disturbs their countries’ magic often too. But The Fairy’s Supreme Court rarely sends anyone to investigate.”

He and Theo looked even more alien here in Lily’s drawing room. Too… human. The furniture here was even more sparse than in Ragneilt’s chamber. There at least were sofas around a long table and patterned caskets at the corners; here – just some miscellaneous armchairs set chaotically, a desk and a big framed mirror. Velvet curtains hid a door to the bedroom – bedrooms were guarded quite zealously in Logrus. Upon entering Lily lit a lamp and almost merged with soft shadows the drawing room was now full of. It was clearly those shadows’ purpose. But two Loegrians stayed completely visible creating a dissonance in the room.

“But Logrus is a magic land,” Mary protested looking at Joshua. “One of few left in this world. We can’t let anything happen to it.”

He sneered.

“A magic land, you say… It’s a land of foul creatures.”

“Dark magic is magic still and this land gave refuge not only to vampires,” she shrugged. “And it’s strange to hear this from you, Lord Joshua. Even if we are to forget who you are yourself, haven’t Loegria made peace with Logrus and haven’t you lead a lot of negotiations for that peace, as I’m told?”

“I beg your pardon,” he looked down even. “You’re right to disapprove. Lily, I didn’t mean to insult anybody. I’m afraid Ragneilt’s death unsettled me.”

The vampire smiled thinly but managed not to answer back in the same manner. Mary was impressed with her self-control; she was also glad some of vampires could act responsibly right now. Even responsibly by their standards.

“I want to know what Theo knows about this puzzle Her Majesty Queen Ragneilt was trying to solve,” Lily spoke slowly weighing every word and Mary was impressed again: now she was acting diplomatically even by human standards.

“Well...” he drawled. “I’m sure you are though in the last few minutes I thought hard if I really should start this conversation. Tell me, Lily, did you join anybody by the bond of marriage in the last fifty years?”

She raised her head proudly as if insulted by him asking that question. Or maybe any question at all.

“I didn’t,” she said sharply though.

Theo nodded.

“Good. That makes it easier. Still I’d rather no word of it will leave your chamber. At least for now. This may change later when we know more about what the situation is…”

“Should you talk about it at all?” Joshua stared at a vase with dry flowers in it as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. His lips were pursed and he definitely knew what they were discussing.

“If The Fairy’s Supreme Court sent an investigator they’ll figure it out soon enough,” Theo said evenly. “It would save time… and I confess my concern for the current state of Logrus’ magic if Ragneilt did unravel anything.”

“We can examine it ourselves…”

“Now you cannot,” Lily seemed sick of their banter and interrupted it gladly. “You’ve started this conversation. Let’s finish it.”

“A rational thought,” Theo agreed. “Well… Long story short, Ragneilt wanted to free Logrus from all the bond magic since they were never part of our culture really. The Primary actually forced it upon us.”

Lily recoiled from him hissing and Mary had no trouble in understanding her reaction.

The bonds. Anyone starting to learn about Logrus’ culture learned about them first of all. In the last fifty years this land opened itself a little even to humans so now there were treatises about the bonds. Some found them quite romantic and some – quite repulsive (though the latter, in all honesty, were vastly outnumbered). Still it was an interesting topic for discussion for all of them.

Because that was what it meant: though in every land people were connected by blood, by marriage or by owing something to each other, only for vampires those connections were not based on loyalty but on a magical imperative. They could be or could be not rewarded for complying with it but they were always punished by breaking it, sometimes by death.

In fact Logrus had made the bonds in its cult a long time ago. The main idea behind it was that vampires were that much better than everybody else precisely because all their relationships were of essence you couldn’t discard on a whim.

And their marriages tended to be genuinely permanent

“I did warn you about telling this,” Joshua said stepping towards an armchair near the wall and falling there. It was monstrously massive so he almost sank in it but didn’t leave. “She won’t believe you.”

“How dare you!” Looking at Theo Lily bared her teeth. Which was always an impressive sight with a vampire involved.

“Wait,” Mary asked soothingly simultaneously trying not to touch the chamber’s owner or even come near her. “May we let him tell us all the details? I don’t think he’d joke about this. And you,” she glanced at Theo, “You can’t just tell somebody the foundation of their ideology doesn’t exist!”

“It hasn’t been the foundation of my ideology for a long time now,” he shrugged. “Ragneilt hated her father from the minute she knew what he had done, and as time passed I started to understand her. Our bonds are just shackles. We’d be better off without them but without them we had never become a united kingdom and had gone extinct by now, I venture to say. So I understand the Primary too.”

Lily looked exactly as a Pope of Reme would look like if he’d been told Jesus Christ had never existed and all the five Gospels had been written by pretenders.

“A pity you wasn’t killed…” she drawled.

“But I was,” he smirked and pointed to the armchair Joshua was hiding in. “Killed by him. And resurrected by Ragneilt. Which prompted her to study the nature of all the bonds. Until she stumbled upon the deeds of old and her own father. Do you want the sordid details? I helped with Ragneilt’s research very actively once.”

Mary raised her brow in surprise: Theo was quite casually talking about something that actually didn’t happen every day even in Logrus. Yes, vampires were hard to kill completely and under certain conditions could be brought back. But those conditions were rather unique and difficult to meet with.

“I don’t want another word from you,” Lily gritted her teeth.

“How about Ragneilt’s words?” Theo wouldn’t leave her alone. “She definitely used to write journals fifty years ago and might have kept this habit. Should we search for them? She’ll tell us much more than I were she ten times dead.

Mary was afraid that Lily was going to attack him right now and she tried if not to defuse the tension than to change the subject at least.

“My word, is it really necessary to discuss this now? I agree this is an interesting topic but we have more important things on our minds right now…”

“And these are the very same things,” Joshua’s glum voice came from the armchair. “Theo got sidetracked forgetting to say the core truth. The bonds are an ultimate result of the Primary laying a complex magic pattern to feed him. When he died… Ragneilt took his place in this pattern. I can’t even guess what’s happening with the pattern now especially if Ragneilt tried to unravel it.”

“Without her Logrus could implode,” Theo finished. “Do you want to search for journals now?”

***

It didn’t come as a surprise there was nothing useful in the queen’s chamber. Too easy. If Ragneilt had done her rituals or research somewhere it wasn’t here or the magic residue would linger.

“Lily, Logrus does listen to you now,” Mary noted out looking at her opening another casket and sealing it with magic afterwards. “Are you sure it’s Lord Joshua who has his eyes for the throne and not you?”

The gray-haired Loegrian went still staring at Lily as if he hadn’t think about it before.

“Are you sure you’re a fairy?” the vampire murmured. “You seem to come not to investigate but to sow discord here...”

“After the way you welcomed me, Lily, well, pot, meet kettle,” Joshua told her.

“And then you accused our fairy of murder,” Theo reminded him coming to the balcony and staring at the traces of soot. “I think we’ve gone full circle.”

“Sure, shift the blame on me,” Joshua huffed leaving the room for the next one – for Ragneilt’s bedroom. Mary had already been there but Lily and Theo had preferred not to ho though they searched the drawing room rather thoroughly. “Don’t you tire from doing it for fifty years?”

“How else can we stay happily married?” Theo said acidly without leaving his spot on the balcony. Joshua didn’t hear him or pretended he didn’t.

“You two are married?” Mary didn’t hide her surprise. “I couldn’t tell… but not like vampires do?”

“Exactly like vampires do,” Theo replied in the same voice. “That is why I do so love the bonds that Lily worships.”

“Can you be silent for a minute?” Lily demanded angrily. “I want to throw you out after every new thing you say.”

“Just to throw out?” he turned smiling dazzlingly. “Then we’re almost friends already – you wanted to kill me not long ago if I remember correctly. As for your question, Mary: Lily could desire to take the throne but she isn’t a close enough relative of Ragneilt. I’m actually quite closer being her second cousin. But my rights pale in comparison to Joshua’s., of course”

“So two of most-likely candidates for Logrus’ throne are Loegrians in all actuality?” Mary mused. “That’s a lot.. Do you think Logrus would accept either of you?”

Theo shrugged.

“They wouldn’t accept me for sure. Which is more than fine by me. But we got distracted – let’s keep searching. There’s got to be a clue somewhere.”

The problem was they were running out of places where to search: they’d already torn up the drawing room and the bedroom was kind of spartan – an armchair, a bed and a vanity. And they’d already looked there.

That was why the talking started again soon enough.

“I still don’t like the name you’ve chosen,” Lily muttered staring at Mary. “If you know it then you must know it belongs to a human saint who first invented spells against us.”

“_I was bound, though I have not bound._ I was not recognized. But I have recognized that the All is being dissolved, both the earthly things and the heavenly,” Mary quoted nodding sympathetically. “Of course I know of the Magdalene. Though you’re wrong – she never invented spells against vampires. She was just teaching people how to fight against the dark forces. Vampires are never mentioned in her Gospel. Again, it’s just a popular human name. I also happen to like what the Magdalene’s got to say about the laws of the world.”

“_All nature, all formations, all creatures exist in and with one another, and they will be resolved again into their own roots._ For the nature of matter is resolved into the roots of its own nature alone,” Joshua Van Helsing intoned coming back to the drawing room. “Though, strictly speaking, it was Christ who said it. But Mary Magdalene wrote it down, sure she did. My family has always worshipped her as our personal saint for that too.”

“What a lovely discussion,” Theo was again looking at the soot with his face unreadable. “Joshua, did you find anything?”

“I rather did,” he nodded calmly and when everybody realized what he’d just said they turned to him. “Come with me. Ragneilt hid a small box in her bed.”

Mary went after him but Lily and Theo dithered. They seemed to hesitate to enter Ragneilt’s bedroom and noticing that Joshua said over his shoulder, “Do you want to find anything or not? This is not time for reverence.”

“Subjects never come to their sovereign’s place of rest if not invited,” Lily said through her teeth.

Joshua sighed.

“I do remember vampires considering their bedroom a very personal space and can understand it – you’re really heavy sleepers… but there’s no one there now and we have a common cause, don’t you remember?”

“Wait,” Mary looked at the vampires. “Traditions could have their reasons… do you expect to be punished?”

“Maybe not right this moment,” Lily shook her head. “Nevertheless…”

“Ragneilt was murdered,” Joshua reminded sharply. “We must understand who did it and find how she stirred up the bonds’ ritual. For the sake of it we can cease to respect the traditions for a while.”

“You sure are known for your disrespect for traditions if they’re Logrus’ traditions,” Theo told him. “Were you to respect Logrus’ traditions we wouldn’t be married right now thanks to your mistake.”

“Were I to respect Logrus’ traditions at that moment you’d be dead still,” Joshua’s lips thinned. “And I was more worried about you trying to control me then. Can we please stop reminiscing?”

Theo took a deep breath and followed him and Mary to Ragneilt’s bedroom.

“We can.”

It took longer than that for Lily to cross the threshold so by the time she did it everyone else was studying the box that had appeared on the pillow. Ragneilt hadn’t slept in that bed the day and night before her death – the sheets were undisturbed. Then she had put that box there and went to the balcony?.. Or had her murderers put it there?..

“How could you find anything here?” Lily asked after finally joining them. “The fairy searhed Her Majesty’s bedroom.”

Joshua nodded at a small red-brown circle with symbols around it on the floor.

“I made a search spell with my own blood. Ragneilt and I are related close enough for it to work. Do you want to check if I brought the box here myself?”

“You didn’t,” Mary said. “I can see no one touched it for three days.”

“Nevertheless let her check,” Joshya replied. “We had enough suspicions for tonight.”

Lily did check. Theo was just standing beside her with his arms crossed.

A ritual proved Mary right.

“Does that mean Ragneilt wanted you to find this box, Lord Joshua?” she wondered. “Or do you think it would work for her other relations too?”

“It wouldn’t,” instead of him Lily said. “There are charms of affinity here. They would work only for parents, children, spouses… or siblings. Lord Joshua, I think it should be you to pick this box up, too.”

She was clearly reluctant but didn’t try to accuse him of anything this time.

“I thought so too,” Joshua agreed. “But decided to wait for you.”

Two steps brought him near the bed and then he picked the box up carefully. It was of shining black lacquered wood without any pattern… and without a lock too.

Nothing happened when Joshua picked it up.

“It’s locked, of course,” Joshua tried to open it then bit his finger to let a drop of his blood to fall on the lid. The lid stayed closed. “Oh, I did hope for it to work again…”

“Let me see,” Theo offered stepping to him and taking the box… or trying to. There was a flash and he gave a hiss of pain.

Lily reflexively caught the box which was tossed into the air.

There was no flash this time.

“What a selective spell this is,” Mary took a step backwards just in case. “I’m not sure I want to touch it…”

Lily wasn’t listening to her and was already working the box but still it wouldn’t open. Joshua joined her but their efforts bore no fruit.

“It’s Her Majesty’s magic definitely, I recognize the pattern,” Lily shook her head. “And it seems she didn’t want this box opened by just anybody,” she looked at Theo rubbing his hand. “But if this spell doesn’t hurt me I can try to break it. After all, there are long but reliable rituals… unless Lord Joshua wants to do it?”

“Take it,” he said. “I’d better continue experimenting with my blood. If I knew my sister well enough – that’s not the last surprise she left us. We may have to dig through all of Caer Lyvelid yet.”

“Then I’ll check what chains of spells were weaved in the castle recently,” Mary added. “If Ragneilt decided to break such an old and powerful ritual she had to cast something big to catch all that free magic. Her spells may help us understand what to do in the first place to prevent any calamity.”

“The main problem is to find everything in time,” Theo concluded glumly.

**Author's Note:**

> Come join me on [tumblr!](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/tykki)


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